Glass Noodles (Tang Hoon) with Dried Cuttlefish

Method25 steps · about 1 hr 10 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Rinse the dried cuttlefish (2) and soak in hot water for about 5 minutes, until pliable enough to prepare. Drain, then remove the backbone, mouth and eyes.

   Soften the dried cuttlefish · 5 minUses 2 dried cuttlefish · Hot water, as needed to soak and drain the dried cuttlefish

2. 2

   Step 2: Soak the glass noodles in hot water for about 10 minutes, until softened. Rinse and drain thoroughly, ready for stir-frying.

   Soften the glass noodles · 10 minUses 150 g dried glass noodles (tang hoon) · Hot water for soaking, and clean water for rinsing the glass noodles, as needed

3. 3

   Step 3: Pat the raw pork dry without washing and cut into strips. Mix with the 2 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp cornflour. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

   Marinate the pork · 10 minUses 200 g raw lean pork, to cut into strips · 2 tsp sesame oil, for the pork marinade · 1 tsp cornflour, for the pork marinade

4. 4

   Step 4: Cut the drained, prepared cuttlefish into strips and mix with the 4 tbsp hua tiao or Shaoxing wine. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, retaining the wine for cooking.

   Marinate the cuttlefish · 30 minUses Only drained, trimmed, softened cuttlefish, excluding discarded soaking water and trimmings · 4 tbsp hua tiao wine or Shaoxing wine

5. 5

   Step 5: Cut the four hydrated, ready-to-slice wood-ear fungi (4) into strips.

   Uses 4 wood-ear fungi, hydrated and ready to slice

6. 6

   Step 6: Peel and wash the small onion (1), pat dry and slice thinly.

   Uses 1 small onion · Water, as needed to wash the onion, shallots, chives, chillies and optional parsley

7. 7

   Step 7: Peel and wash the shallots (30), pat dry thoroughly and cut crosswise into thin slices.

   Uses 30 shallots · Water, as needed to wash the onion, shallots, chives, chillies and optional parsley

8. 8

   Step 8: Wash and drain the chives, then cut into lengths about 2 inches long. Set aside a handful for garnish. If using the parsley garnish, wash and drain it now.

   Uses 50 g Chinese chives, reserving a handful for garnish · Parsley, to garnish, optional; amount unspecified · Water, as needed to wash the onion, shallots, chives, chillies and optional parsley

9. 9

   Step 9: Peel and finely chop the two garlic cloves.

   Uses 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

10. 10

    Step 10: Wash and drain the five red chillies, then cut into thin slices for garnish.

    Uses 5 red chillies, for garnish · Water, as needed to wash the onion, shallots, chives, chillies and optional parsley

11. 11

    Step 11: Shell and devein the prawns (200 g), leaving the tails on if desired. Pat dry without washing raw seafood and mix with the pinch of prawn-seasoning salt. Keep covered and refrigerated until frying.

    Uses 200 g raw prawns, to shell and devein · 1 pinch salt, for the prepared prawns

12. 12

    Step 12: Heat the ½ bowl shallot-frying oil in the wok over high heat.

    Uses ½ bowl cooking oil, for frying the shallots

13. 13

    Step 13: Add the dry shallot slices and stir constantly. When they begin to brown lightly, lower the heat to medium-low. As soon as they turn golden, switch off the heat and immediately lift them into a metal sieve to drain, retaining the frying oil separately.

    Uses Hot shallot-frying oil · Only the washed, dried shallot slices, excluding wash water and peel

14. 14

    Step 14: Retain about 3 tbsp of the used shallot-frying oil in the wok for the noodles. Keep the remaining oil separate, along with the drained crisp shallots.

    Uses Only about 3 tbsp of the shallot-frying oil, excluding crisp shallots and surplus oil

15. 15

    Step 15: Return the wok to medium heat. Add the prepared garlic and fry briefly until fragrant without burning.

    Uses Only the retained noodle-frying oil, excluding separate surplus oil and crisp shallots · Finely chopped garlic

16. 16

    Step 16: Add the prepared onion slices and fry until fragrant without burning.

    Uses Fragrant garlic and retained shallot oil · Only washed, dried onion slices, excluding peel and wash water

17. 17

    Step 17: Add the marinated pork strips and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, until cooked through and at least 63°C (145°F). Continue cooking if needed before adding the prawns.

    Cook the pork strips · 5 minUses Fragrant onion, garlic and retained oil · Sesame-oil and cornflour-marinated pork strips

18. 18

    Step 18: Add the prepared prawns and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until pearly and opaque throughout.

    Cook the prawns · 3 minUses Cooked pork strips, onion, garlic and pan coating · Prepared salted prawns

19. 19

    Step 19: Add the sliced wood-ear fungi and stir-fry for another 2 minutes, until hot through.

    Stir-fry the wood-ear fungi · 2 minUses Pork, prawns and aromatic pan coating · Sliced hydrated wood-ear fungi

20. 20

    Step 20: Add the 1 tsp black soy sauce, the bowl of chicken stock (1) and all the cuttlefish with its retained wine marinade. Stir-fry for another 5 minutes, until the cuttlefish is cooked through and the sauce is hot.

    Cook the cuttlefish and sauce · 5 minUses Pork, prawns, fungi and aromatic pan coating · 1 tsp black soy sauce · 1 bowl ready chicken stock · All wine-marinated cuttlefish and retained marinade

21. 21

    Step 21: Taste the cooked sauce, then add only as much of the ¼ tsp finishing-salt allowance as needed.

    Uses Fully cooked proteins, fungi and hot sauce · Salt to taste, up to the ¼ tsp allowance

22. 22

    Step 22: Add the drained glass noodles. Use long wooden chopsticks to toss gently and coat them with the sauce without breaking the strands.

    Uses Cooked proteins and seasoned sauce · Only all softened, rinsed and drained glass noodles, excluding soak and rinse water

23. 23

    Step 23: Continue cooking over low heat until the glass noodles absorb the gravy and are tender.

    Uses Glass noodles, cooked proteins and gravy

24. 24

    Step 24: Add the prepared chives, keeping the reserved handful separate for garnish, and toss until hot through. If the noodles are too dry, add a little of the optional additional water.

    Uses Tender glass noodles and cooked proteins · Only the prepared chives for cooking, excluding the reserved garnish handful, optional parsley and wash water · Additional water, only if the noodles are too dry

25. 25

    Step 25: Take the wok off the heat and rest for at least 3 minutes before serving the pork. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the reserved chives, sliced chillies, some of the crisp shallots and optional prepared parsley. Serve hot; keep unused frying oil separate.

    Rest before serving the pork · 3 minUses Completed glass noodles and cooked proteins · Only the reserved chive handful and optional washed parsley, excluding already-used chives and water · Only washed and sliced red chillies, excluding wash water · Only some of the drained crisp shallots, excluding the separate frying oil